Downton Abbey ‘is b*******, basically’, says historian A.N. Wilson

Downton Abbey has come under fire from historian and broadcaster A.N. Wilson, who branded its depiction of Edwardian life as âb***locksâ.

Downton Abbey returns to screens on ITV1 on Sunday 17 September at 9pm.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4âs Today programme, Wilson said he acknowledges that the show is âharmless funâ, but that it presents a âsanitised version of the pastâ.

The outspoken expert said: ‘I don’t want to be too serious about it, but the idea that Downton Abbey represents this country’s finest hour is b*******, basically.â

After a hugely successful first series Downton Abbey is due to return to screens on ITV1 on Sunday. The period drama follows the lives of a wealthy British family and the servants who work âdownstairsâ from them serving their every need.

Historian A.N. Wilson.

Wilson added: ‘ Julian Fellowes has claimed that Downton Abbey – which is sheer fantasy and a sanitised version of the past – is realistic and that we ought to go back to the old days.

‘I’m not being po-faced about it, but a programme that depicted the real lives of servants would have been an interesting one.

‘It’s worth emphasising how dirty and how smelly life was for almost everybody before about 1950.’

The showâs writer Julian Fellowes has previously said he is happy for the programme to be labelled a âposh soapâ.

Wilson has spoken out about the hit series before, saying that it glorifies ‘an ordering of society that was hateful in real life.â